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Greg Laurie Daily Devotion - Aug. 10, 2007

 

Friday, August 10, 2007

Peace and Victory

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

—John 16:33

There are two primary sources of spiritual attack in the life of the Christian: outward and inward. While an inward attack comes in the form of infiltration, an outward attack is persecution. And for many, an outward attack takes them down.

Persecution is one of Satan’s primary methods of attack in the life of the Christian. Jesus talked about persecution in the parable of the sower, in which the seed symbolizes the Word of God. He explained, “But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Matthew 13:20–21).

If you are going to be a true follower of Jesus Christ, then you will be persecuted. But Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:11–12). You are in good company: the prophets were persecuted as well.

When you suffer persecution, remember what Jesus said: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Let’s be persecuted for the right reasons. Let’s be persecuted because we are like Jesus Christ and reflect Him to a lost world. And let’s never forget that in Him we have peace and victory over persecution and tribulation. 


For more relevant and biblical teaching from Pastor Greg Laurie, go to  www.harvest.org.

Copyright © 2007 by Harvest Ministries.  All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version.  Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.  Bible text from the New King James Version is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by Thomas Nelson, Inc., Attn: Bible Rights and Permissions, P.O. Box 141000, Nashville, TN 37214-1000. 



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